Sixty-five years ago, on April 19, 1950, the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus (UBC), under the direction of Hryhory Kytasty, expressed thanks through music and words to U.S. legislators for permitting them to enter the United States as displaced persons. In attendance at a special event at the Senate building in Washington were senators, congressmen and invited guests.
The concert, which began with the U.S. national anthem sung with accompaniment on the bandura, made “an everlasting impression” on the assembled lawmakers. Other selections included Ukrainian folk and historical songs that echoed through the halls of the Senate building.
Sponsoring the concert were: Sens. Harley M. Kilgore (D – W. Va.) and Homer Ferguson (R – Mich.), Reps. John W. McCormack (D – Mass.), and Joseph Martin (R – Mass.), and Secretary of the Senate Leslie L. Biffle.
Sen. Harry Cain (R – Wash.), who was instrumental in making the arrangements with Helen Dubovyk (tour manager) for the group’s appearance, stated: ”It is my sincere wish that the bandurists will be heard by all Americans. I wish to thank them for being here. It is really America’s gain that they are here instead of behind the Iron Curtain. It gave me great pleasure to hear them and it was wonderful to have had a hand in helping them.”
Founded in Ukraine in 1918 and with Metropolitan Detroit as its base since 1949, the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus (bandura.org) continues to thrive. Most recently, the UBC had a three-city (Passaic, N.J., Stamford, Conn., and Rochester, N.Y.) spring tour “Brothers! We Shall Live!” in March and a concert on April 18 at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Its Kobzarska Sitch Bandura Camp in Emlenton, Pa., where the new generation of bandura players and singers are trained, is to be held this year on August 1-15.
And the UBC continues to educate audiences, not only through performance, but through film. “Music of Survival: The Story of the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus” (musicofsurvival.com) chronicles the history of the original 17 members of the UBC from Kyiv, who arrived in the U.S. from Germany after the second world war.
Source: “Bandurysty sing ‘Thanks for Freedom’ in Washington, D.C.,” The Ukrainian Weekly, April 24, 1950.